


Yanked

by purplefox



Series: Distorted [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimension Travel, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 01:19:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13493824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: Dick knows Bruce better than anyone no matter the years no matter what he has suffered. He does not have to see to know who he is. Dick knows him and he has never been able to leave Bruce alone.





	Yanked

Dick had experienced many things on patrol, many things in training too. There were crazy things that you just came to accept. It made no sense, there was no real logic to it but damn would it happen. Even with the whole accept the crazy and learn to deal with it their team and family had going there were some things you just did not expect to happen.

There were some things that quite simply were never supposed to happen. A good example of things that were not supposed to happen. When one was grappling from one place to another one should continue grappling. A line might get cut or one might have misjudged the wind but that was okay, those sorts of things happened on patrol.

Sadly those sort of things were the norm for them but considering who and what they were usually up against they were lucky that was the worst they had to deal with, at least Dick had thought so.

That was until he had been grappling and had been yanked from mid-air by a strong hand and pulled into whatever the hell he was in. The reason he had not freaked during the grab was because he had recognized the hand.

Not the smartest thing to do considering he had been kidnapped mid-patrol. His instinctive responsive had to be better controlled. He had went from concentrating on his jumps, keeping an eye on the area to being thrown off his entire groove. Even before he had looked he had known whose hand it was.

Did not make the grabbing any easier or less insulting to his pride considering how easy it had been but it did not change that when the gauntleted hand had grabbed his and pulled he had went and all he could think was _‘What the hell is Bruce even doing?’_

Because it was Bruce. It just might not be his Bruce, the Bruce that had grumbled into his sandwich as Damian made a dash for his suit pulling Duke along every step of the way. Dick was absolutely certain that the Batman before him, sitting in whatever box that they were in… was not the Bruce that Dick knew from day to day.

The longer that he sat in the box, testing it was his hand, some pulses from his suit he was certain that it was less a black box and more a pocket of some sort, he almost positive he was looking at a Batman, at a Bruce from another timeline or even dimension.

The longer he looked the more positive he was about his guess. The man before him was older than the Bruce that Dick knew. The suit was different too and although Bruce was always changing his suits and his designs, fussier than anyone Dick knew about suits. Even though Bruce changed materials and designs at the drop of a hat the Batman and Batsuit before him had an entirely different feeling to it.

Not to mention the longer he watched the Batman that had grabbed him and the longer the man silently looked back he was struck with the overwhelming feeling that the man behind him was grieving more than Bruce ever had. That feeling was what kept Dick from opening his mouth when in most cases he would have let out some sort of snarky remark. Before the Batman that had grabbed him, he just could not say anything, just wait.

X

“You really were not going to say a word.” This Batman’s voice was gruffer, a lot rougher than his Bruce’s voice. Almost as if something had happened to his throat. It did not seem like a mechanic of the suit. Considering the look of the man before him Dick feared what could have happened. Bruce could be stupid when his emotions overwhelmed and this man looked as though he had grieved hard. As if he was still grieving hard.

“I was waiting on you.” Dick admitted softly. He did not even know this Bruce but his entire body was focused on him, not only accessing him but waiting and god forbid it softening towards him. “You’re the one that grabbed me, whatever you have to say it has to be important.”

That got him a sigh from the man waiting before him. A sigh that went to his bones that was filled with grief that had him wondering what could have possibly happened. Except Dick already sort of knew. Of course he did, he had watched Bruce suffer all kinds of grief. All kinds of horror. All of them had suffered traumas and while Bruce recovered and liked to pretend he was untouchable most of the time Dick had always been there. They would always carry what their traumas had done to them, Dick could recognize most of Bruce’s terrors.

There were quite a few he had not seen up close but he had come close enough. He had learned of Bruce’s and Batman’s worry early on. Bruce could accept loss but it was always begrudging and reluctant. He hated death, he hated loss and the thought of losing those that meant something to him.

He might push Dick away but it lingered, it would always linger. The fact that Bruce always cared and always would. Fate had played tricks on them all. Fate had hurt their entire group, their family but Dick had never been taken away. Even when he had wished it on himself, wished it for himself it had simply never happened.

He had always wondered at the back on his head what something like that would do to Batman, do to Bruce. Knowing that Dick was gone never to come back and not exactly gone to another city or identity but gone never to be seen again.

It hurt his heart to see and guess that before his was the answer to that curiosity. He took a breath to steady him, his eyes ran over the Batman before him and his voice gentled before he could help it. “What happened to you?”

X

This Bruce was certainly different to his, the way he kept his eyes on Dick, the way he relaxed as though Dick was… as if just being around Dick was like coming home after a long day. It made his heart hurt even as he paid attention to Bruce’s body language and the story.

The story was horrifying, he had guessed that this Batman had come to warn them. Mostly likely warn him but his tale was fucking disturbing, terrifying and while he would be looking to verify it not even taking Bruce’s word for granted and at face value. Still even before the man drew to a close Dick knew.

“I died.” He said softly.

“Yes.” Batman said slowly. “It was not… good.”

That made Dick shudder because he did not need to hear that. He did not need to think about that either but there he was thinking about it. For fucks sake, what was he going to do about the broken Bruce with him now? He had never been able to fully walk away and this might not be his Bruce but…

“I need you to live.” Bruce said slowly. “I need you to stay alive, we do. Every universe there is that has us and some semblance of out story. Even if it does not play out the same way you need to live. You need to give the world your light. You, one the best men I know.” He trailed off and leaned closer his gauntlet hand reaching for Dick. “Without you there is only chaos.”

“How many people have you been going about warning?” Dick asked even as he leaned forward to let this Bruce cup his cheek. It was just supposed to be a cheek rub or something but he found himself pulled forward until he was hovering over the older Batman. He balanced over him, he could easily move over but he did not want to. “Bruce…”

“For the rest of my life, I’ll be going through universe after universe to spread the warning. There is nothing left for me.” This Bruce smiled in a way that not only tugged at his heart but made Dick want to hug him to himself. He had moved to do such a thing before he stopped himself forcefully.

It was the careful look that made him relax his body the slightest bit. “Is that it? All the warning?”

“Yes. If you follow my directives and make certain not to go to the television station or the mayor’s office you will live and things will change.” Bruce gritted.

“But nothing changes for you.” Dick pointed out.

“You alive is all I need.” Bruce said and his hands were on Dick’s face. Dick could have pulled away, this was not his Bruce. This was not their history but at the core of it, he was Bruce and in the end when Bruce hurt Dick found it impossible to pull away.

The first touch of their lips was soft, both of them taking it easy for different reasons. For Dick it was a dream come true something to memorize and for this Bruce, it was a taste of a lost past. That thought made Dick wrap his arms around Bruce’s neck for the next kiss. Hotter and fiercer with his taking the lead at first before Bruce’s hand was on his neck helping to mash them together.

Dick went from hovering over Bruce to siting in the man’s lap the feeling of his suit pressing against him but none of that mattered because their gasps were loud when one pulled back from the other to press kisses against exposed skin. Against necks, for Bruce to whisper things that made Dick’s eyes water.

This Bruce turning up to warn him was a good thing, he needed to live for his Bruce. Who knew if they would ever get this far but he hoped that whatever happened with this Bruce before the man could not just help this sad man but stay between them. Because while Bruce was suspicious of everyone especially himself he never liked sharing.


End file.
